SALINA – For the 14th consecutive year, the Hays High girls’ golf team has qualified for the state tournament. The Indians punched their ticket with a second place finish at the Salina 5A Regional held at the Salina Municipal Golf Course.
The Indians shot a 340 and finished 11 shots behind first place Andover.
Sophia Garrison fired an 82 and finished third, 10 shots off the pace. Andrea Lopez and Taleia McCrae both had rounds of 85 and tied for seventh. Katie Dinkel tied for 10th after an 88.
The 5A State Tournament is October 21-22 at the Emporia Municipal Golf Course.
Team Finish
1. Andover 329
2. Hays High 340
3. Salina South 345
4. Great Bend 485
5. Norton 405
6. Valley Center 412
7. Salina Central 414
Top 10 Medalists
1. Madison Slayton-Andover 72
2. Nina Frees-Salina South 81
3. Sophia Garrison-Hays High 82
Zoe Norton-Salina South 82
5. Alivia Nguyen-Andover 83
6. Tiffany Chan-Andover 88
7. Andrea Lopez-Hays High 85
Taleia McCrae-Hays High 85
Lindsay Brown-Salina South 85
10. Katie Dinkel-Hays High 88
Kelsey Hawley-Andover 88
Mallory Seirer-Newton 88
RUSSELL – The TMP-Marian Monarchs girls’ golf team shot a 436 and finished second in the Russell 3-2-1 Regional to qualify for the state tournament. The Monarchs finished one shot back of regional champ Plainville.
TMP’s Haleigh Spray shot a 90 and was regional champion. Jenna Romme finished fourth with a 97.
Plainville was led by Corbyn Marquess who finished second with a 91. Ashlynn Stamper was fifth after a 102.
The 3-2-1A State Tournament is October 21-22 at the Salina Municipal Golf Course.
College-bound students will soon have another great reason to choose Fort Hays State University. Already the most affordable university in the region, the university will offer, effective Oct. 15, four new scholarships with award levels ranging from $15,000 to $6,000 over four-years, or $3,750 to $1,500 yearly. Some of these awards can also be combined with other awards.
The revised undergraduate scholarship program is one of the first initiatives to come from the university’s strategic enrollment planning process. According to Dr. Joey Linn, vice president for student affairs, “This program will provide more opportunities for students to be rewarded for their hard work in the classroom. Combining this with our affordable tuition will help students achieve their dreams of a college degree.”
Linn
Launching a revamped scholarship program on Oct. 15 is unusual. Dr. Dennis King, associate vice president, student affairs and enrollment management explained the reason for the timing “Why are we launching this now? Our research shows that this program will positively impact more incoming on-campus freshmen and transfer students. While it would be easier to launch this program over the summer, doing the right things for students is what we do at FHSU.”
Utilizing an easy to navigate scholarship matrix built around ACT/SAT scores and high school grade-point average ranges, high school prospective students will be able to determine immediately the amount of the scholarship award that awaits them.
Scholarships awarded under the revised scholarship program can also be fully renewable, provided students meet renewal criteria. These scholarships are not need-based, and there will be no built-in award amount reduction for students who secure additional financial awards from other sources.
According to Jon Armstrong, director of admissions, “The university recognizes that not everyone is a great test-taker. We value high school GPAs as an excellent indicator of how students apply themselves in school, and we want students who are willing to work to be successful.”
Armstrong went on to say, “We’re already known as the most transfer-friendly university in the region. The steps we have taken to revise the program further reinforces our commitment to transfer students.”
Fort Hays State’s enhanced scholarship program will include three levels of transfer scholarship awards. These awards are based on the student’s GPA and the completion of at least 30 credit hours. The scholarships will range from $1,500 to $500.
To find out more information, please visit www.fhsu.edu/admissions or call 785-628-5666.
Sometimes you ask for information that, once you get it, you wonder why you even asked for it in the first place.
The Legislative Committee on Post Audit did just that.
It asked Post Audit how Kansas’ leaders’ salaries compare to leaders in other states. The answer wasn’t good, but it is something that practically, legislators can’t do anything about…at least not in the upcoming election-year session when every seat in the Kansas House and Senate is up for election.
The numbers? Members of the Kansas legislature, with a few exceptions, make about $22,000 a year for their service in the 90-day sessions. That’s the $77 a day for the session plus a per-diem payment of about $13,700 for the session to cover housing and other costs of living in Topeka during the session for out-of-towners.
There’s no asterisk in the per diem to keep track of just how much those lawmakers save on meals because there’s almost always some event at lunch and dinner when lobbyists could pick up the cost of meals and drinks and entertainment.
That Post Audit report makes an important differentiation between full-time legislatures. Kansas is lower than all but Nebraska. Oklahoma lawmakers? They take home about $50,000, Missouri and Colorado more than $40,000, Iowa about $40,000 and Nebraska a dab less than Kansas’ $21,900.
If you ran home to tell your mother that you’d just got a job that pays $22,000 a year, she’d probably tell you to keep looking.
But it’s a full-time job only from January to maybe June, with a month off for Spring Break and a pretty good holiday schedule.
And, most legislators have other work during the rest of the year that we presume makes the house and car payments in their districts or they are retired. Some farm, some have businesses that allow them to take part of the year off. Because the legislative day has some breaks, there’s time to get in a little real work at their businesses. Or…they farm and don’t have to be there every day to make sure the wheat and corn actually grow when they are in Topeka.
But…that low salary probably means there are folks out there in the state who can’t afford to serve in the Legislature, even if they managed to round up the campaign money to get elected.
When done right, that 90-day session is just a part of their job. The rest of the year: Campaigning, meeting with constituents, learning everything possible about their district and constituents so they can represent them well in the Statehouse.
Chances are excellent that just because voters in a district — from a few square blocks in a city to a dozen counties out west – elected them, they don’t know how every piece of legislation is going to impact their district. That takes hundreds of hours a year.
There is also the mingling at events in their district during the year, showing up for parades and meetings. And every legislator has a story about watching the ice cream melt in the grocery cart while a constituent complained about fence laws or property taxes or the school district’s budget.
Part-time job? Not by a long shot when done well so that they can represent their constituents.
Kansas lawmakers probably need a raise. But which of them, except probably some who aren’t seeking re-election, want their vote recorded to raise their salaries?
Hmmm…not seeing a majority of a quorum of either chamber ready to make that vote in an election year.
Because we’re not seeing anyone propose one “free” vote in the upcoming session…
Syndicated by Hawver News Company LLC of Topeka; Martin Hawver is publisher of Hawver’s Capitol Report—to learn more about this nonpartisan statewide political news service, visit the website at www.hawvernews.com
PRATT – After a comprehensive review, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced it would not list the Scott riffle beetle, Optioservus phaeus, under the federal Endangered Species Act.
The Scott riffle beetle is a tiny brown and black aquatic insect that was first identified as a distinct species in 1978. Big Spring, a groundwater spring complex in Historic Lake Scott State Park near Scott City, is the only place in the world the insect is known to exist.
The Scott riffle beetle, Optioservus phaeus, is found only at Historic Lake Scott State Park near Scott City, Kansas.
An Oct. 4, USFWS news release reported that due to ongoing conservation actions and protections by the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks, and Tourism, federal protections for the beetle under the ESA were not warranted.
Staff from KDWPT’s Ecological Services Section and Parks Division have been working together to implement conservation actions for the Scott riffle beetle since 2016.
The USFWS also expressed confidence in KDWPT’s ability to continue managing for the beetle in the wild, based on the best available science. The USFWS will continue providing conservation support and guidance, as needed.
Critical to this species is the unique spring habitat where it resides – an area KDWPT continually works to maintain and protect. Based on data collected in 1984 and 2017, management efforts are working, as the population has remained stable for more than 30 years. Additional conservation efforts for the species include population monitoring, deployment of a real-time water quality and quantity monitoring station, and predatory fish removal.
The Scott riffle beetle is currently listed as Endangered under the Kansas Non-game and Endangered Species Conservation Act and lives solely within Historic Lake Scott State Park, providing the species with a level of protection uncommon in other areas. The local geology of the spring and the High Plains aquifer also suggest the unique spring habitat is unlikely to go dry in the foreseeable future.
“Big Spring is an uncommon habitat in an otherwise dry western Kansas,” said KDWPT aquatic ecologist Jordan Hofmeier. “The fact that the Scott riffle beetle has persisted here speaks to the resiliency of the species and the habitat, and the excellent management of the area by the park staff.”
WOODSON COUNTY — Two people were injured in an accident just before 1p.m. Monday in Woodson County.
The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2015 Ford pickup driven by Derrick R. Shannon, 45, Humbolt, was traveling slowly northbound on U.S. 75 at 60th Road.
The truck turned right to pull into a field entrance and struck a 2015 Harley Davidson motorcycle driven by Charles Splechter, 61, Buffalo, Kansas, who was northbound in the passing lane.
Splechter was pronounced dead at the scene. EMS transported a passenger on the motorcycle Amy Corban-Morris, 50, Buffalo, Kansas, to a hospital in Topeka. They were not wearing helmets, according to the KHP.
Shannon and a passenger in the truck were not injured.
U.S. Sen. Pat Roberts is not looking for another term in Washington. Plenty of people are lining up in hopes they’ll take over. Nomin Ujiyediin / Kansas News Service
By STEPHEN KORANDA Kansas News Service
Republican U.S. Sen. Pat Roberts says he will not run for re-election in 2020, opening the door to a parade of candidates announcing a run or considering jumping into the race to replace him. Multiple Republicans are eyeing the seat, and it could be the first time Democrats have a competitive U.S. Senate primary since the 1990s.
Here’s the rundown of who’s seeking the seat in Washington:
REPUBLICANS
Kris Kobach
Residence: Near Lecompton
Nationally, Kobach is known as a hardliner against illegal immigration. But in Kansas, he’s coming off a 2018 loss for the governor’s office. When he was secretary of state from 2011 to 2019, he pushed for strict voter registration changes, arguing they would help prevent voter fraud. Critics said the rules made it too difficult for eligible voters to register and the requirements were blocked by a federal court. Kobach is a long-time ally of President Donald Trump, and he says he’ll push Trump’s policies and fight what he calls the establishment in Washington. He’s currently working with a private organization attempting to build a wall along the U.S. border with Mexico.
Dave Lindstrom
Residence: Overland Park
Lindstrom is a former Kansas City Chief turned businessman who’s chairman of the board for the Kansas Turnpike Authority. After his NFL career, Lindstrom owned four Burger King restaurants in the Kansas City area and worked in real estate. Like other Republicans in the race, Lindstrom is voicing his support for Trump and says he’ll bring free-market ideas and a conservative perspective to the Senate.
Roger Marshall
Residence: Great Bend
Roger Marshall was reelected last year to represent Kansas 1st District in Congress, a seat he first won in 2016. In Congress, Marshall has been a reliable supporter of President Trump and his agenda. He worked as an obstetrician and gynecologist before joining Congress. Marshall says if elected he will continue to push for a border wall with Mexico and will confirm strict constitutionalists to the United States Supreme Court. He says what differentiates him from other conservatives in the race is a concern for the national debt, which he argues can be addressed by strengthening the economy, lowering health care costs and having fewer Americans on welfare.
Bryan Pruitt
Residence: Manhattan
Pruitt is a Wichita native who worked as a conservative political commentator and political consultant based in Washington, D.C. He has now returned to Kansas for the campaign. If elected, he would be the first openly gay senator from Kansas. Pruitt agrees with other conservatives in the race on major issues, but says the party needs to talk differently about abortion and should nominate more diverse candidates.
Susan Wagle
Residence: Wichita
Wagle is the first woman to become president of the Kansas Senate (2013-current). A conservative who has been a vocal critic of Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly, Wagle and Kelly have clashed on issues like Medicaid expansion and tax policy. Wagle touts her years of work in support of abortion restrictions approved by Kansas lawmakers. She’ll continue serving as Senate president while campaigning for the U.S. Senate. Wagle is a cancer survivor, and counts health care issues among her top priorities, saying government health care isn’t the answer to challenges in the industry.
Filed paperwork to run or explore the race:
Gabriel Mark Robles, from Topeka
DEMOCRATS
Barry Grissom
Residence: Leawood
In 2010, President Barack Obama picked Grissom to serve as U.S. attorney for Kansas. Grissom highlights his experience, as well as prosecutions of people who plotted to bomb the Wichita airport and Fort Riley. As an attorney, Grissom says he has fought against racism and unfair wages. He’s also campaigned for loosening laws on marijuana, saying it’s not a good use of taxpayer resources.
Usha Reddi
Residence: Manhattan
Reddi serves on the Manhattan city council and was an elementary-school teacher before taking a leave to campaign for the Senate. Reddi says she’ll push for economic policies that benefit working Kansas families. She’s a sexual abuse survivor who went public with her account because she says she’s met many women with similar experiences. If elected, Reddi would be the first Hindu person to serve in the U.S. Senate.
Other Democrats who have filed paperwork to run or explore the race:
Editor’s note: This story will be updated as new people enter the race or, as in the case of Democrat Nancy Boyda on Oct. 10, drop out of the race.
Stephen Koranda is Statehouse reporter for Kansas Public Radio and the Kansas News Service, a collaboration of KCUR, Kansas Public Radio, KMUW and High Plains Public Radio covering health, education and politics. Follow him on Twitter @kprkoranda or email [email protected].
SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating an armed robbery and have made an arrest.
Billingsley photo Sedgwick Co.
Just before 2a.m. Monday, police were dispatched to a shooting at a residence in the 1500 Block of North Gentry in Wichita, according to Captain Brett Allred.
Investigators learned that a suspect identified as Shaeland Billingsley, 25, Wichita, pointed a handgun at a 49-year-old man inside the home and demanded money.
Billingsley then allegedly shot the victim in the leg, took his jacket and fled on foot, according to Allred.
A short time later, officers located Billingsley a couple of blocks away. He was wearing a ballistic vest. Police arrested him without incident. They also recovered a handgun, the victim’s property and drug paraphernalia.
Inside the home at the time of the robbery were a 70-year-old woman, a 60-year-old man and another woman, according to Allred.
Billingsley is being held on requested charges of aggravated robbery, aggravated battery, possession of drug paraphernalia and criminal possession of a firearm.
SHERIDAN COUNTY — One person was injured in an accident just before 11a.m. Monday in Sheridan County.
The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2018 GMC Sierra driven by Thomas W. Fernow, 58, Albuquerque, NM., was eastbound on U.S. Hwy 24 five miles east of Hoxie towing a combine header on a trailer.
The trailer tongue broke and the trailer with combine header crossed the center line and struck a westbound 1999 Peterbilt semi driven by Edgar Terrazas-Leyva, 20, Garden City, head-on.
EMS transported Terrazas-Leyva to the Sheridan County Health Complex. Fernow and a passenger were not injured. All three were properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the KHP.
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Newly released documents say that members of a now-suspended University of Kansas fraternity struck, urinated and spat on some new members who were suspected of cooperating with an investigation into hazing.
The media has obtained the heavily redacted documents about Delta Upsilon after filing a records request.
In July 2018, the university found the fraternity guilty of endangering new members during the fall 2017 semester. The documents show that the chapter’s counsel didn’t fight the hazing allegations during a hearing but argued that it wasn’t as big of a deal as the university was making it out to be.
The hearing ended with the university suspending the fraternity from campus through the fall semester of 2023. At the time, the Delta Upsilon International Fraternity had been planning to close the chapter and restart it later.
